Paddlewheel boat gets initial OK for Webster Lake berth

WEBSTER — A proposed 75-foot Mississippi-style paddlewheel boat to give tours on Webster Lake got over a major hurdle Thursday night, when the town Conservation Commission accepted the proponent's notice of intent.

In a 4-1 vote, the Conservation Commission accepted the proposal by Webster Ventures, which owns Indian Ranch, to construct a boat ramp and berth for the paddlewheel boat, as well as to expand a marina and add sand to a swimming beach, all subject to meeting 55 "special conditions" set forth by the commission. The panel also requested more information pertaining to effects on wetlands.

Under the proposed project, the marina docks will be floating docks that are moored to the bottom, while a fixed concrete dock will be installed at the shoreline.

A 30-foot-by-4-foot ramp will extend from the fixed dock to connect with the new main shore-perpendicular float (30 feet long by 7 to 8 feet wide) and two shore-parallel floats will extend eastward from the main float.

The most shoreward float will be 127 feet long by 5 feet wide, while the most lakeward float will be 115 feet long by 5 feet wide. Five finger floats will extend from each side of both of these docks.

In addition, a third main marina float will be located west of the paddlewheel boat's berth and it will also have five finger floats attached to it on the western side.

Richard W. Canavan, senior environmental scientist at CME Associates, addressed the Conservation Commission members about their concerns and conditions.

Mr. Canavan said the commission or its agent might enter the property for inspection to make sure they are in compliance. In addition, the commission reserves the right to amend its order of conditions based on new information provided by the applicant.

According to the "special conditions," the Conservation Commission finds that Webster Ventures has not provided sufficient information to describe the site, the work and the effect of the work on wetland interest.

As a result, several of the commission's "special conditions" are intended to address these gaps in information, by requiring that additional information is to be submitted to the commission, its consultant, the town engineer and other town officials for their review and the commission's approval.

However, the commission has determined the project meets limited project conditions for maintenance of beaches, construction of docks and construction of water dependent uses.

Conservation Commission Vice Chairman and Webster Lake shoreline resident Richard J. Franas was the only one to vote against the project. He said the commission should have received a complete plan much earlier in the process.

"The Conservation Commission has been working on this since September, taking an awful lot of time to drawing information out," Mr. Franas said. "And here we are still asking for information."

If Webster Ventures meets the "special conditions" set by the Conservation Commission, it will have smooth sailing to do what it has planned, Mr. Franas said.

However, if the proponents don't meet the "special conditions," the commission will have to take action, he said.

"The only thing the Conservation Commission can deal with here is to manage the interest of the Wetland Protection Act," Mr. Franas said. "That's where our jurisdiction is."

Hired by Webster Ventures, Lester B. Smith Jr., principal and geologist at Epsilon Associates Inc., said his client got over a "big hurdle" Thursday night and the conservation commission made "a good decision."

"We have to submit some additional materials and have them approve those additional materials," Mr. Smith said. "But we're confident that we can do that with success."

Mr. Smith said Webster Ventures has already submitted its waterways license application to the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Kenneth J. Vacovec, president of Concerned Citizens of Webster Lake, said the group is disappointed by the Conservation Commission's decision.

"We don't think there was enough information provided to the conservation commission that they could vote that way," Mr. Vacovec said. "There're still a lot of other things that have to be answered. There're still a lot of hurdles that have to be done before the boat gets on the lake."

Christopher Robert, president of Webster Ventures, was not present for the meeting.